In recent years, transportation methods have changed substantially. This change is due in part to a concern over the limited availability of natural resources, a proliferation in personal technology, and a societal shift to adopt more environmentally friendly transportation solutions. These considerations have encouraged the development of a number of new flexible-fuel vehicles, hybrid-electric vehicles, and electric vehicles.
While these vehicles appear to be new they are generally implemented as a number of traditional subsystems that are merely tied to an alternative power source. In fact, the design and construction of the vehicles is limited to standard frame sizes, shapes, materials, and transportation concepts. Among other things, these limitations fail to take advantage of the benefits of new technology, power sources, and support infrastructure.
Since the invention of the modern vehicle, the efficiency and the simplicity of the use of vehicles has been an ongoing focus in the design of vehicles. As technology becomes more complex, more improvements are constantly being made to improve user interaction with vehicles. While the use of cars has greatly increased the efficiency of human travel, along with the benefits comes a number of criminal and negligent behavior stemming from unauthorized use of vehicles. Due to such criminal and negligent behavior, the right to use a particular vehicle is increasingly important.
Protecting vehicles from theft and other unauthorized use is a constant concern for vehicle manufacturers. Balancing the concerns for ease and efficiency of use by the car owner and other authorized users with the concerns for vehicle protection typically comes at a cost. Modern vehicles typically use keys which must be held by a user near the vehicle. For a person to unlock and/or drive the vehicle, he or she must have possession of the keys.
Modern vehicles are more and more being used autonomously, i.e. via self-driving. It is now possible for a vehicle to travel without the assistance of a human driver. Modern vehicles are also more and more being shared. For example, ride-sharing services (e.g. Uber and/or Lyft) have made the thought of having a stranger in the backseat of a person's car go from a nightmare to a money-making opportunity. Modern commerce is also advancing. More and more items are being bought and sold online.
Vehicle manufacturers must adapt to the changing marketplace. Modern technology lacks a simple way to allow users to share vehicles automatically, that is, without the physical sharing of keys.
Modern authentication techniques, such as passwords, PINs, etc. are easily forgotten and are not easily changed when a user gains or loses permissions. As a result, such methods and techniques are inefficient and a burden to users.
Modern cars have the technology to autonomously drive to locations without human input, however the identification and verification of users with authority to control the vehicle is an area lacking an efficient solution.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and system of authenticating users without requiring physical tools such as keys or mental burdens such as memorized passwords. Moreover, the solution should be seamless and effortless, allowing for maximum user efficiency and customer satisfaction.